115D-2.1. State Board of Community Colleges.

(a) The State Board of Community Colleges is established.

(b) The State Board of Community Colleges shall consist of 21 members, as follows:

(1) The Lieutenant Governor or the Lieutenant Governor's designee shall be a member ex officio.

(2) The Treasurer of North Carolina or the Treasurer's designee shall be a member ex officio.

(3) The Governor shall appoint to the State Board four members from the State at large and one member from each of the six Trustee Association Regions defined in G.S. 115D-62. The initial appointments by the Governor shall be made effective July 1, 1980, or as soon as feasible thereafter. In order to establish regularly overlapping terms, the initial appointments by the Governor shall be made so that three expire June 30, 1981, three expire June 30, 1983, and four expire June 30, 1985. Each subsequent regular appointment by the Governor shall be for a term of six years and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. Any vacancy occurring among his appointees before the expiration of term shall be filled by appointment of the Governor; the member so appointed shall meet the same residential qualification, if any, as the member whom he succeeds and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term of that member.

(4) The General Assembly shall elect eight members of the State Board from the State at large in the following manner:

a. In 1980, the Senate shall elect three members, one of whom shall serve a term expiring June 30, 1981, one of whom shall serve a term expiring June 30, 1983, and one of whom shall serve a term expiring June 30, 1985. In 1985, the Senate shall elect two members to serve terms expiring June 30, 1991. Each subsequent regular election by the Senate shall be for a term of six years and until a successor is elected and qualifies.

b. In 1980, the House of Representatives shall elect four members, one of whom shall serve a term expiring June 30, 1981, one of whom shall serve a term expiring June 30, 1983, and two of whom shall serve a term expiring June 30, 1985. In 1985, the House of Representatives shall elect two members, to serve terms expiring June 30, 1991. Each subsequent regular election by the House of Representatives shall be for a term of six years and until a successor is elected and qualifies.

c. Repealed by Session Laws 1985, c. 227, s. 5.

d. The initial elections by the two houses of the General Assembly shall be held on or before July 1, 1980.

e. Any vacancy occurring among the members elected by the two houses of the General Assembly before the expiration of term shall be filled when the General Assembly next convenes. The member then elected shall be elected by the same house that elected the member whom he succeeds, and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term of that member.

f. At each session of the General Assembly held in an odd-numbered year, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall assign to either a standing or a special committee of that house the duty of receiving from the members of that house nominations of persons to be considered by that house for election to the State Board. The chairmen of the two committees shall jointly determine a common final date for receiving nominations from members of that house, and a common date for reporting to their respective houses their nominations for the State Board. Each committee shall screen the proposed candidates for nomination as to their qualifications, background, lack of statutory disabilities, and willingness and ability to serve if elected. Each Senator and each Representative may nominate only one candidate. When the nominating process is closed, each committee shall list all candidates and shall separately vote "aye" or "no" on each candidate to determine whether that person shall be listed as a nominee of the committee. The verbal vote of a majority of those members of the committee present and voting shall constitute one nominee of the committee. An individual cannot be a candidate for nomination to more than one place. If a sufficient number of candidates is submitted to each committee, then each committee shall nominate at least two persons for each place to be filled by that chamber, otherwise each committee shall nominate at least one person for each place to be filled by each of the House of Representatives and the Senate. No person may simultaneously be a candidate for election by both houses, and if one is nominated in both houses, he shall determine by which house he shall be nominated and so advise the chairman of both committees. The two houses shall, by joint resolution, fix a common date and time for the election of members of the State Board. At the election session in each house, the committee shall report its list of nominees with the term of office indicated for each nominee. The ballot in the House of Representatives shall also include the names of all other persons nominated by a member of that house who are determined by the committee to be qualified for the offices, with the committee's list of nominees being clearly set out on the ballot. No additional nominations shall be received from the floor. Each house shall then proceed to an election of the State Board. In order to be chosen, a nominee shall receive the votes of a majority of all members present and voting.

When each house has chosen one person for each place to be filled on the State Board, the chairman of the committee shall make a motion for the simultaneous election of those persons by that house to the indicated positions and for the indicated terms. The vote shall then be called electronically. If a majority of those voting shall vote "aye," persons named in the motion shall be declared to have been elected. Each house may adopt rules consistent with this section with respect to the election by that house of members of the State Board.

(5) The person serving as president of the North Carolina Comprehensive Community College Student Government Association shall be an ex officio member of the State Board. If the president of the Association is unable for any reason to serve as the student member of the State Board, then pursuant to the constitution of the Association, the vice-president of the Association shall serve as the student member of the State Board. Any person serving as the student member of the State Board must be a student in good standing at a North Carolina community college. The student member of the State Board shall have all the rights and privileges of membership, except that the student member shall not have a vote.

(b1) Upon receipt of a referral from the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement in accordance with G.S. 163A-156(m) concerning a member of the State Board of Community Colleges, the principal clerk of the house of the General Assembly receiving the referral shall immediately refer the matter to the appropriate education committee of that house. That committee may recommend to that house a resolution providing for the removal of the Board member. If the committee's proposed resolution is adopted by a majority of the members present and voting of that house, the public servant shall be removed and the seat previously held by that Board member becomes vacant.

(c) No person may be appointed or elected to more than two consecutive terms of six years on the State Board.

(d) No member of the General Assembly, no officer or employee of the State, and no officer or employee of an institution under the jurisdiction of the State Board shall be eligible to serve on the State Board. No spouse of a member of the General Assembly or of an officer or employee of the Community College System or of an institution under the jurisdiction of the State Board shall be eligible to serve on the State Board. No person who within the prior five years has been an employee of the Community Colleges System Office shall be eligible to serve on the State Board.

(e) The Governor shall convene the membership of the State Board on July 1, 1980, or as soon as feasible thereafter. The State Board at that meeting shall elect from its appointed or elected membership a chairman and such other officers as it may deem necessary.

(f) At its first meeting after July 1, 1981, and every two years thereafter, the State Board shall elect from its membership a chairman and such other officers as it may deem necessary.

(g) The State Board of Community Colleges shall meet at stated times established by the State Board, but not less frequently than 10 times a year. The State Board of Community Colleges shall also meet with the State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina at least once a year to discuss educational matters of mutual interest and to recommend to the General Assembly such policies as are appropriate to encourage the improvement of public education at every level in this State; these joint meetings shall be hosted by the three Boards according to the schedule set out in G.S. 115C-11(b1). Special meetings of the State Board may be set at any regular meeting or may be called by the chairman. A majority of the qualified members of the State Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(h) Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the appointed membership of the State Board, the chairman shall inform the appropriate appointing authority of the vacancy.

(i) The State Board of Community Colleges may declare vacant the office of an appointed or elected member who does not attend three consecutive scheduled meetings without justifiable excuse. The chairman of the State Board shall notify the appropriate appointing or electing authority of any vacancy.